Rapid and Deferred Help Seeking Among African American Parents of Children With Emotional and Behavioral Difficulties

Little is known about the factors African American parents consider when seeking care for their child after emotional and behavioral difficulties emerge. This study aimed to examine factors associated with seeking professional care within 30 days after identifying a child's need (i.e., rapid care seeking) and with deferring care for ≥1 year.

This cross-sectional study surveyed African American parents raising a child with emotional or developmental challenges (N=289). Logistic regression was used to examine associations of parent activation, medical mistrust, and care-seeking barriers with two outcomes: rapidly seeking care and deferring care seeking.

About 22% of parents rapidly sought care, and 49% deferred care for 1 year or longer. Parents were more likely to rapidly seek care if they had higher parent activation scores; lived with other adults with mental health challenges; or, contrary to the authors' hypothesis, mistrusted doctors. Parents were less likely to rapidly seek care if the challenge did not initially bother them much or if their health insurance would not cover the service. Parents were more likely to defer care if they feared involuntary hospitalization for their child or if their health insurance would not cover the service. Parents were less likely to defer care if they had at least some college education or lived with other adults with mental health challenges.

Community-based pediatric and child welfare professionals should be informed about facilitators and barriers to mental health care seeking as part of efforts to develop interventions that support African American families.